Breakout 1: How to Increase Diversity in your coverage Thursday August 29, 2019 1 Session Description • To encourage attendees to seek and pitch stories about demographics that are underrepresented in mainstream news. • To offer suggestions on how to cast more diverse characters for stories using LGBTQ people rather than the traditional husband and wife. • The encourage a discussion about casting a wider, more diverse net in LGBTQ coverage to better present the perspectives of women and people of color. 2 The Panel Simon Bouie Producer for the CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell based in Los Angeles Sharif Durhams President of NLGJA and Senior Editor, CNN Digital Dr. Bethany Grace Howe Researcher, University of Oregon Patrick Lee Editor for CBS News 60 Minutes Michelle Miller, Session Moderator Co-Anchor CBS This Morning Saturday 3 Let your voice be heard! Participate in the ASNE Newsroom Diversity Survey Dr. Meredith Clark The American Society of News Editors is currently conducting their annual newsroom diversity survey. The survey is a good way to get actual data on LGBTQIA representation at all levels of an organization. The Survey Closes on August 31. To participate in the survey visit this link - http://bit.ly/ASNE_LGBTQIASurvey The research is being led by MEREDITH D. CLARK, PH.D. Dr. Clark is an assistant professor in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Virginia. She spent 10 years working in print and digital news media before making the transition into academia. Clark’s research, teaching and professional writing focus on the intersections of race, media, and power. Preliminary 2019 ASNE Survey Findings are on the next slide 4 Preliminary 2019 ASNE Survey Findings: Of 111 self-identifying LGBTQIA journalists queried in the 2019 ASNE Newsroom Diversity Survey, thus far the research has shown the following: • 90% of respondents work in mainstream (i.e., not LGBTQIA+ focused) media • 40% of respondents had 10 or more years’ professional experience working in journalism • 22% indicated they worked in a management role between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2018 • 78% of respondents were white • 9% of respondents were Black • 6% of respondents were biracial or multiracial • 1% were of Pacific Island origin • 9% indicated they were of Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity • 77% of respondents indicated they were fully or mostly “out” at work • 11% indicated they were somewhat out, including those who were out sexually, but not in terms of gender identity • 6% indicated they were somewhat closeted at work (i.e., people close to them might know) • 8% indicated there are not out/are closeted at work 5 Helpful tips and words of advice The following are suggestions, tips, resources and words of advice from journalists who represent many different kinds of diversity. They have been added to this presentation to provoke thought, give a good suggestion or provide inspiration. I hope that at least one of these items is of value to every person reading this. Thank you for attending this panel and enjoy! Simon 6 Jonathan Blakely Senior Producer, CBS This Morning • No one is thinking about you…ever: When it comes to hiring or promoting, you have to operate under the assumption that you are not on the radar unless YOU raise your hand and let your goals be known. Don’t assume that managers know how much you contribute and how much your work is appreciated. • Everyone has blind spots, including you: When it comes to diversifying coverage, for people of color or other marginalized groups, we have to be even more careful about how we frame conversations around divisive issues. It’s always helpful to go out of your way to make sure you are seeking out other perspectives so your reporting is as fair as it can be. • Write, Write, Write: No matter how you consume your news – podcast, print, digital, radio, TV – somebody wrote it. Writing is literally one of the only skillsets that is transferable in every single industry in journalism. Make the effort to strengthen this critical skill. • Speak up, or Shut Up: If you are a victim of verbal abuse or have been mistreated repeatedly by a co-worker or manager, say something! Depending on the situation, confronting the person face to face, or going to your HR manager could be necessary. But doing nothing will change nothing. • Listen to your head and your heart: We cover extremely traumatic, divisive, and depressing news on a daily basis. To perform our jobs well, we often have to detach from the natural emotions other people get to feel at these events. But bottling up those emotions is not good, and if we aren’t careful they can lead to breakdowns. I’ve had one myself. It’s not anything to be ashamed of to seek help/therapy. For what we do, it can make all the difference. 7 Manuel Bojorquez CBS News National Correspondent • Be aware: On one of my first trips to Latin America to cover immigration, I started to notice that a significant number of LGBT youths were part of the migration. I didn’t expect it, but it became a chance to include their plight in the larger story. • Be sensitive: Especially when speaking with those who may not be completely comfortable with the public spotlight. Ask specifically how to refer to them, their spouses or significant others, ‘partner,’ ‘wife,’ ‘husband,’ etc. It goes a long way to understand and be careful not to assume. • Be prepared: Reach out to advocacy groups, support groups, etc. in your area and get on their radar. When a big story happens, you won’t be a cold call and they could connect you with the right person for an interview. • Be creative: Not every LGBT story has to be a hard-news look at an issue, as important as those stories are. Whether it be a feature, photo essay, etc., think about ways to incorporate diversity in a wide range of stories. • Be smart: As we all know, a lot of hate lives online and as we push our coverage to social media, you will have to deal with that. Be smart about how, or even if you engage. Some trolls aren’t worth the time. In other words, think before you tweet. 8 Simon Bouie Producer, The CBS Evening News • Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t have an honest career as opposed to just a job: Don’t fall for the “you should just be happy that you’re here” trick. • Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t have an exceptional life and that you rather have to settle for one of diminished expectations. This should apply to all areas of your life and not just your work life. • Don’t over promise and under deliver: If you say you can do the job, you have to be able to do the job exceptionally. Don’t ask for a shot if you can’t deliver and knock the ball out of the park. Let the excellence of your work speak just as much about you as do the other things that people associate with you. • Demand dignity and equal treatment in all things: If your organization claims to govern itself by polices that promise equal opportunity and equal treatment, remind them of that. • Speak truth to power: Do this respectfully, intelligently and with eloquence of course. Approach difficult conversations in the spirit of trying to help the institution be better for all of its employees. • Bring new ideas to the table: If you feel there is a void in your organization in the outreach and coverage of a certain demography, come up with a smart idea that would help fill some of that void and something that management can get behind. It might not be easy, and it might take considerable time to achieve, but it could be an incredible investment. • Remember, respect and include all the different LGBTQ perspectives: As a person of color who is also a member of the LGBTQ community, I often feel that coverage of LGBTQ issues is told from one perspective and that people of color, women and the Trans community are often not represented. It’s difficult to truly achieve LGBTQ equality when everyone within our community can’t have their voice heard. • Despite the victory of marriage equality, the quest for total and permanent equality is not over: As a community we have made great strides in the last four years. However, we can’t take our foot off the pedal. We must continue tell stories about the need for and power of equality. 9 Maryhelen Campa Deputy Bureau Chief, CBS News Southern Region • Finding diverse characters for stories: Every industry has a support organization for people of color and sexual orientation. There are organizations for Black doctors, Latino attorneys, Asian CPAs. Scour the web and social media to find experts in just about every industry you can think of. Facebook has millions of specialized groups. While many may be “closed” groups, you can always send a message to them asking for guidance. For example here’s a Facebook group for Gay Engineers, https://www.facebook.com/groups/5158454814/. • Do a Facebook search for the specialized expert on the topic you are covering: On Twitter, search “Twibes” or “Twittgroups” to find social networks on the topic you’re covering. • LGBTQ Groups: Consult with LGBTQ groups in your community. These groups will offer you both “experts” as well as story ideas. If you’re really serious, then attend meet-ups or social events in your area.